Somewhere between the bombast of rock music and the infectiousness of pop. At a point where musical weight is subsumed by indie smarts. In a place where alternative creativity collides with mainstream tastes, you find the sort of music which seems to have mass appeal whilst still bristling with authenticity and integrity. And this is where you find Red Output.
Projections Through Rose Coloured Glass is their latest EP and it is a cool collection of tracks that run from the chirpy to the sophisticated and from the groovesome to the more ambient. Nostalgia Drive kicks things off, the sort of sound that feels like a modern take on the old college rock sound, a blend of the off-beat and the infectious. The Sunday Rose Bar lands with more clout and confidence but still revels in some smart and deft sonic choices and oddly enough the focal point of the album is actually an understated ballad with the fantastic title of I Knew She Loved Frogs Because of Her Demeanor. It proves that less is more, then again, it always has been, we knew that already, and that kookiness is next to godliness…or something.
Washed Out Twilight shimmers and shines its way through a cool indie soundscape and Turbulent Eyes (A Sleeping Decision) takes us both unexpectedly and quite brilliantly into the sort of musical realms that Scott Walker made his own. Well, not any more, it looks like he is going to have to share some of that space with this albums glorious swansong.
There are literally thousands of young bands ploughing such an indie and alternative musical furrow, but few offer anything as unconventional and addictive as the songs that are found here. The musical building blocks may seem familiar but the way that Red Output re-arranges them to build sonic architecture that is both compelling and creative, occasional wonderfully odd and with the ability to not pander to the listeners’ expectations, is what makes them stand out from the crowd. Definitely, a band to watch.
